09:00 Claudia Hofbauer prepares the new sustainability report of TU Graz and liaises with Michael Monsberger. At the centre of this is the so-called double materiality concept: on the one hand the impact of TU Graz on our environment, and on the other hand the environmental impact on our university.
10:00 Together, Heide Neges and Claudia Hofbauer prepare a web meeting with the Alliance of Austrian Sustainable Universities. 19 universities have joined forces in this network to make a contribution to a sustainable society. ‘I particularly like networking with other universities in my job – together we have leverage and can make a difference,’ says Claudia Hofbauer.
11:00 Heide Neges (office of the Sustainability Advisory Board), Claudia Hofbauer as the sustainability officer of our university and Michael Monsberger as the responsible member of the Rectorate also take part in the constituent meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board of TU Graz. Heide Neges emphasises: ‘Networking with other colleagues at TU Graz is a lot of fun and creates new opportunities. My job gives me the feeling of doing something relevant every day.’ The Sustainability Advisory Board advises the university management on important and fundamental questions relating to sustainability issues and supports the Rectorate in the further development of the sustainability strategy.
11:30 Jascha Urbas, Gerit Kreuzer-Plank and Nina Camara from the OU Buildings and Technical Support are responsible for the launch of the new furniture re-use initiative at Campus Inffeldgasse. Twice a year, TU Graz invites staff and students to collect used furniture from the university warehouse for their private use. ‘The job is very rewarding and has a tangible impact: TU Graz is becoming greener and more sustainable,’ says Jascha Urbas, describing their motivation for working in the Sustainability Unit.
12:30 If time permits, the team of the unit eat lunch together – today in the nearby Rooftop canteen, but often they also bring their own snacks.
14:00 The team discuss current topics at the regular meeting. A constant reference in the work of the unit is the Climate Neutral TU Graz Roadmap 2030, which is being implemented with concrete measures and together with the employees and students of TU Graz.
For more information, see klimaneutrale.tugraz.at.
15:00 Michael Monsberger, Jascha Urbas and Isabella Zieser from the OU Buildings and Technical Support discuss where TU Graz will place the certificate and plaque for its latest certification. Our university has been awarded the Austrian ecolabel as a sustainable event venue and can now call itself a ‘green location’.
16:00 Sustainable business travel is an important concern at TU Graz. Heide Neges answers current enquiries about how the climate contribution for air travel works and liaises with the OU Personnel on the specific procedure. She is also in regular contact with external partners such as ÖBB.
For more information, see tu4u.tugraz.at/go/klimafreundlich-reisen.
17:00 The team members usually cycle or use public transport to get to work, and not just between campus locations.
20:00 Everyone ends their well-earned evening in different ways. Jascha Urbas likes to spend it reading a good non-fiction book – they also grow rare houseplants and walk the dog. Claudia Hofbauer has a dog and a horse, and likes playing the Styrian harmonica, dulcimer and zither. For Heide Neges, the evening usually belongs to family and friends, with whom she enjoys philosophising over a glass of Grüner Veltliner – she is a taster at the official awc Vienna wine evaluation. Michael Monsberger also prefers to spend his free time with his family.
Since its foundation in January 2024, all sustainability topics at TU Graz have been combined in the Sustainability Unit at Münzgrabenstraße 36. It is headed by Michael Monsberger, who has been Vice Rector for Infrastructure and Sustainability since October last year: ‘The aim is to think and live sustainability holistically at TU Graz. Together, we can succeed in becoming a beacon for sustainable action.’ Claudia Hofbauer joined the team on 1 July, Heide Neges (at TU Graz since 2020) and Jascha Urbas (at TU Graz since 2019) previously worked in the OU Change Management and Implementation. The team of the Sustainability Unit is happy to answer any questions on sustainability issues.
The Sustainability Unit at TU4U: tu4u.tugraz.at/go/staff-unit-sustainability